Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
A slur is a symbol in Western musical notation indicating that the notes it embraces are to be played without separation (that is, with legato articulation).A slur is denoted with a curved line generally placed over the notes if the stems point downward, and under them if the stems point upwards.
Standard notation indicates legato either with the word legato, or by a slur (a curved line) under notes that form one legato group. Legato, like staccato , is a kind of articulation. There is an intermediate articulation called either mezzo staccato or non-legato (sometimes referred to as portato ).
String instruments use these methods to achieve different articulations, varying the speed, pressure, and angle of the bow or pick. Musicians use articulation to create a link between notes, such as legato. Legato is formed by letting the string vibrate without stopping or muting it so the note slurs with the consecutive ones.
[1] [4] Currently, portato is sometimes indicated in words, by "mezzo-staccato" or "non-legato"; or can be shown by three graphic forms: a slur that encompasses a phrase of staccato notes (the most common), or; a tenuto above a staccato mark (very often), or; a slur that encompasses a phrase of tenuto notes (less common). [5]
There was, therefore, a difference of opinion between these two very distinguished singing masters of the 19th century as to the meaning of portamento, and its relation to the legato and the musical slur. It reflected not merely a distinction of terminology but divergent understandings of a fundamental aspect of singing technique.
Legato is a technique that requires notes to be bowed in a connected manner with no stoppage of sound between each note. It can be accomplished through détaché , by playing each note on a separate bow smoothly, with no breaks or accents between bow changes.
Clearly, the slur status of the G-word hasn’t been fully absorbed by the mainstream. This issue has presented a unique problem for us. Some people already know that the G-word is offensive; some ...
Tonguing also refers to articulation, which is how a musician begins the note (punchy, legato, or a breath attack) and how the note is released (air release, tongued release, etc.) For wind players, articulation is commonly spoken of in terms of tonguing because the tongue is used to stop and allow air to flow in the mouth.